Tristen Newton didn’t appear to be a perfect fit at UConn right away, but by the time he left, the East Carolina transfer turned consensus All-American had built a resume that placed him among the Huskies’ all-time greats. His absence left a clear hole in the 2024-25 roster as the Huskies were unable to replace that production, size and consistency at the point guard spot.
Coach Dan Hurley and his staff may have filled that void for next season, and they knew it right when former Georgia guard Silas Demary Jr. walked onto campus for his visit on Tuesday.
“When I first saw (Associate Head Coach) Kimani Young, he was just like, ‘Man, there goes my PG,’” Demary said on a Zoom call with Connecticut media Thursday. “Me hearing him say that gave me a lot of confidence in myself and it just made me feel secure with who I was and secure with him, knowing that he’s gonna be here for me, he’s gonna be that guy.”
Spending the whole day with the coaching staff, which gushed over how Demary would thrive in their system, using clips of Newton to visualize the fit, was what ultimately led one of the top players in the transfer portal to commit to the Huskies on Thursday.
“It just felt right. I had that gut feeling that Coach Hurley and his staff was just the right staff for me to commit to,” he said. “The reason for coming is here, I just want to be the next great point guard. Obviously these guys won back-to-back with great guards like Tristen Newton, Stephon Castle, look back even further, Shabazz Napier, Kemba Walker. I want to be one of those names. I wanted to come to a program that’s been about winning.”
At 6-foot-5, a former top-50 recruit coming out of high school, Demary fits just what the Huskies were lacking as their historic NCAA Tournament winning streak came to an end in the Round of 32 against No. 1 seed Florida, which is playing in the Final Four this weekend. Demary averaged 13.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.7 steals per game during his sophomore season with the Bulldogs, shooting 39.6% from the field, 37.4% from beyond the arc and 80.4% from the free throw line.
“Silas is the type of big guard we love at UConn and we can’t wait to get him in the mix,” UConn head coach Dan Hurley said in a press release. “He can score from all three levels, playmake and use his length to guard multiple positions. Silas comes from a great family and will fit our championship culture to a tee.”
Demary’s visit to UConn came just a day after he was visiting with Rick Pitino at St. John’s. One of the most desired players in the portal, he reportedly chose the Huskies over Kentucky, BYU and a number of others.
Based on his highlights, the physical guard who can rebound, read defenses and problem-solve with his own shot creation has the potential to fit perfectly as the conductor for the Huskies’ complex offense, which ranked top-15 in the nation despite its inconsistencies this season.
“Them showing me how they would use me was a lot of Tristen highlights and him defending, him being able to make shots, make plays, that was the mold that they were showing me and I was like, I could see myself going there and doing the same type of things he does,” Demary said. “Just looking at (Newton’s) growth from where he came from to him winning that championship there, it was nothing but a great thing for me to see because we have a lot of the same similarities and traits.”
UConn struggled at the defensive end over the course of the season, and Hurley noted that he would be looking to add two-way players when the portal opened. According to Evan Miyakawa’s research, Demary was the best “3-and-D” wing available.
Demary’s commitment is UConn’s first out of the portal this offseason, joining him with at least Solo Ball, Jaylin Stewart and the four-man incoming freshman class, which is ranked third-best in the country.
“Looking at the returners, you’ve got Tarris Reed, Jaylin Stewart, Solo Ball, Jayden Ross, they’re all coming along. So talking to those guys on the visit, it just felt right just being around them,” Demary said. “At dinner, they were sitting on the opposite side of me but we were just having a conversation the whole night. So those guys welcomed me with open arms and, like I said, it just felt right from the jump and just being around those guys was kind of icing on the cake.”
Official decisions are yet to come from Reed and Ross, as well as captain Alex Karaban, who is considering entering the NBA Draft alongside standout freshman Liam McNeeley. The Huskies lost four players to the portal in guards Aidan Mahaney and Ahmad Nowell, along with Isaiah Abraham and Youssouf Singare.
But the addition of Demary, who had four 20-point games from February on in the touted SEC, including a 21-point effort to beat Florida on Feb. 25, instantly positions the Huskies to have championship aspirations heading into the season.
“In my past I’ve been a winner and the big stage is somewhere I feel like I thrive. Them reaching out, I couldn’t wait to come and start that conversation. This is a program that’s built on winning and having the big stage, and I feel like it was time for me to come to that stage and I feel like that’s why I ended up here.”
Solo Ball announces decision to return to UConn men’s basketball team next season
Originally Published: April 3, 2025 at 2:15 PM EDT
